Harman/Kardon Citation 100 Smart Speaker Review

Homes are getting smarter, thanks to our smart devices. Even our speakers are getting smart with extra functionality. And if you are looking for a speaker, you will want to turn to a company that has a lot of experience as well as a great reputation for amazing sound. Harman Kardon is a great example of this. Up for review is the Harman Kardon Citation 100.

 

Features and specs:

General Specifications

Power Supply:  100-240V – 50/60Hz

Wireless network:  802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5GHz)

2.4G Wi-Fi transmitter frequency range:  2412 – 2472MHz (2.4GHzISM Band, USA 11 Channels, Europe and others 13 Channels)

2.4G Wi-Fi transmitter power:  <20dBm

2.4G Wi-Fi modulation:  DBPSK, DQPSK, CCK, QPSK, BPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM

5G Wi-Fi transmitter power:  <23dBm

5G Wi-Fi modulation:  QPSK, BPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM

5G Wi-Fi transmitter frequency range:  5.15 - 5.35GHz, 5.470 - 5.725GHz, 5.725 - 5.825GHz

Note:  Citation 100 is intended to be used for streaming music. A consumer can stream Bluetooth audio to the speaker. A consumer can connect their speaker to the local Wi-Fi Network and stream music with Google Chromecast. In addition, the speaker will work with Google Home. This product is designed to be instantly on and ready to play music at a moment's notice, therefore, the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection must remain active at all times to ensure proper operation. Citation 100 is in compliance with the European Union energy legislation. Citation 100 complies with European Commission Regulation (EC) No 1275/2008 and (EU) No 801/2013 as a networked equipment with high network availability (HiNA equipment and equipment with HiNA functionality). Power consumption Standby

Audio Specifications

Signal-to-noise ratio:  >80dB

Supported audio formats:  HE-AAC, LC-AAC, MP3, Vorbis, WAV (LPCM), FLAC, Opus

Output power:  50W RMS

Transducer:  1 x 20mm tweeter, 1 x 102mm woofer

Dimensions

Dimensions: (W x H x D)172 x 275 x 163 mm

Weight:  2.7 kg (6lb)

Control and Connection Specifications

Bluetooth® version:  4.2

Bluetooth transmitter frequency range:  2402 – 2480MHz

Bluetooth transmitter power:  <5dBm

Bluetooth transmitter modulation:  GFSK,π/4 DQPSK, 8DPSK

The Harman Kardon Citation 100 came in a great looking color printed box with photos and specs of the speaker. Opening the box revealed a well-protected speaker, held in place by custom molded foam. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic, with some cloth and metal. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish, was excellent. Also included was the power cord and owner’s manual.

 

I really like the design of the Citation 100. For a speaker, it has a separate tweeter and woofer on the front. Then on the back there is a passive radiator for improved bass performance. It may not be true stereo sound since there is only one speaker, but with a separate tweeter, woofer, and passive radiator, you’ll get great sound.

 

That takes us to the next part of the design with it being wireless. Because of this, you can add not only a second one, you can actually add several more. With multiple of these Citation 100’s linked together, you can actually have one in each room, providing whole house sound. And the Citation 100 is only the beginning. There is the whole Citation family from Harman/Kardon. There are the Citation 300 and Citation 500 which are larger version of the Citation 100. There’s also Citation Bar, which is a TV sound bar, and if you like surround sound, there is also the Citation Tower, Citation Surround and Citation Sub. Just add the Citation Bar as the center channel speaker, and you can have a full 5.1 surround sound system with the Citation speakers.

 

The last part of the design is the smart functionality. It’s great being able to play your music from either online, your smartphone, or your home network, but it can do a lot more. You can get hands free help from the Google Assistant. Ask the time, ask the weather, or even a multitude of other facts. And if you have set up your home as a smart home, you can even use it to control your lights, control your temperature as well as other smart devices in your home. Now that we know what it can do, let’s hear how it sounds.

 

The Hu- Sugaan Essena: Vocals were nice and raw with very good texture of the timbre. Drums were nice and dynamic as well as deep and played with good authority. The lute was crisp and clean with good resolution of the bow.

 

Earth, wind and fire – September: Wood blocks had the nice hollow tone of the wood come thru very well, Drums were again nice and dynamic with good depth. Trumpets were really crisp, clean and smooth with the same good resolution of the timbre.

 

Nat King Cole; L-O-V-E: Cymbals were really crisp and clean with great resolution of the sticks on the high hat. Piano sounded natural. Violin had nice smoothness of the strings. Trumpet was nice and dynamic with silky smooth. And of course Nat King Cole’s vocals came out as legendary as they are known for, smoother than Dove chocolate with epic harmonics.

 

For use of it as a smart device, it also did not disappoint. No matter if it was something I wanted to know about the weather, such as temperature or sunset time, I got the answers I was looking for. Any other random information I was looking for from online, it was also able to help me with. And of course with it being linked to my home network, it was also able to control other smart devices in my home, such as lights.

 

I love the Harman/Kardon Citation 100. It’s a great sounding smart speaker. Thanks partly to the built-in passive radiator, it rocks out! The smart functionality was fun and very helpful. And what I also really loved about the Citation 100, is not only does it do a great job with all of this functionality, it also does it with style! The cloth surrounding it does give it a great look and amazing styling. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the Harmon/Kardon Citation 100 has earned our Highly Recommended Award. Kudos on a great product. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.harmankardon.com.